Android Ice Cream Sandwich vs Apple iOS 5 head-to-head

The battle for smartphone supremacy is about to kick into overdrive with Google announcing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to counter Apple's newly launched iPhone 4S that runs iOS 5.

With the iPhone 4S flying off the shelves, Google will be relying on the fourth iteration of Android, dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), to continue attracting users. We take a look at how the operating system shapes up against iOS 5.

User interface - Android gets a revamp, iOS gets a polish
Ice Cream Sandwich will come with a revamped interface, which aims to blend the best of existing Android Honeycomb and Gingerbread platforms.

Google has created a new typeface, which it claims is optimised for high-resolution screens. The "Roboto" font might have a comical name, but it looks swish, is easy to read and provides a refreshed look to the Android platform. 

Gone are the context-sensitive buttons that have been sitting under the touch screen on previous Android smartphones. These have been replaced by virtual buttons in the System Bar similar to the Honeycomb platform. The onscreen buttons come in the form of Back, Home and Recent Apps.

A feature that Android has borrowed from iOS is the ability to create folders. Android users will now be able to create them by dragging and dropping apps on top of each other. This feature has been long overdue and will help users to group items together without the three click process of having to create a folder and then drag items into it.

Meanwhile, Apple resisted the temptation for an overhaul, and to be fair the iOS platform didn't really need one. The solitary home button is still found beneath the screen on iOS devices and homescreens display apps and folders in the same fashion.

A key addition to iOS is the inclusion of a Notification Center, which funnily enough has been borrowed from Android. This is accessed by swiping a finger down from the top and displays content including email, texts and friend request. Notifications are also accessible from the lock screen – a feature that has also just debuted on the stock version of Android.

Apple has also integrated Twitter into iOS, allowing users to tweet directly from core applications such as Photos, Camera, YouTube, Maps as well as the Safari browser.